A method for operating the DC-to-DC voltage regulator including plural active switches and plural inductors is disclosed. The method including the steps of: turning on the first active switch, and then turning off the first active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; turning on the third active switch, and then turning off the third active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero; turning on the second active switch, and then turning off the second active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; and turning on the fourth active switch, and then turning off the fourth active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A DC-to-DC voltage regulator having input and output terminals, the voltage regulator comprising: a push-pull DC-to-DC converting unit comprising first active switch and second active switch and configured to convert a voltage V 1 at the input terminal to a square-wave signal of voltage; an isolation transformer having two primary windings and one secondary winding, wherein the primary windings are coupled to the first and second active switches, respectively; a resonant unit comprising a capacitor and first inductor and second inductor, the first inductor coupled to the secondary winding of the isolation transformer; third active switch and fourth active switch coupled to a terminal of the second inductor; first rectifier and second rectifier coupled to the third active switch and fourth active switch, respectively; and an output stage of full-wave rectification comprising four passive switches and a plurality of connection joints and configured to provide a voltage V 2 at the output terminal, wherein the connection joints are coupled to the resonant unit, the isolation transformer, and the first and second rectifiers, respectively.
2. The DC-to-DC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the turns ratio of the two primary windings is 1, while the turns ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding is more than 1 in the isolation transformer.
3. The DC-to-DC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second inductors are coupled to a terminal of the capacitor, and each two of the passive switches are cascaded and the cascades are connected in parallel, forming two cascade and two parallel connection joints, wherein the two cascade connection joints are coupled to the other terminals of the capacitor and the secondary winding, respectively, and the two parallel connection joints are coupled to the other terminals of the first and second rectifiers, respectively.
4. The DC-to-DC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the first rectifier comprises a first clamping diode and the second rectifier comprises a second clamping diode.
5. A method for operating the DC-to-DC voltage regulator of claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of: (A) turning on the first active switch, and then turning off the first active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; (B) turning on the third active switch, and then turning off the third active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero; (C) turning on the second active switch, and then turning off the second active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; and (D) turning on the fourth active switch, and then turning off the fourth active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the steps of (A), (B), (C) and (D) are taken in the alphabetical sequence.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein all the active switches are turned off before the step (A) is initiated.
8. A method for operating the DC-to-DC voltage regulator of claim 3 , the method comprising the steps of: (A) turning on the first active switch, and then turning off the first active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; (B) turning on the third active switch, and then turning off the third active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero; (C) turning on the second active switch, and then turning off the second active switch when the current flowing in the first inductor is equal to zero; and (D) turning on the fourth active switch, and then turning off the fourth active switch when the current flowing in the second inductor is equal to zero.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the steps of (A), (B), (C) and (D) are taken in the alphabetical sequence.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein all the active switches are turned off before the step (A) is initiated.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 12, 2012
November 11, 2014
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